Pakistan convicts Americans on terror charges

Five American men were convicted on Thursday for terror charges by a Pakistani court and sentenced to 10 years in prison.

The case has heightened the concerns about Westerners travelling to Pakistan to contact al-Qaeda and other Islamist extremist groups.

The trial of the young Muslim men, all in their 20s from the Washington, D.C., area, was now sensitive for the U.S., which has a duty to ensure the justice for its citizens abroad but also has pushed Pakistan to crack down on militancy.

The men have been identified as Ramy Zamzam of Egyptian descent, Waqar Khan and Umar Farooq of Pakistani descent, and Aman Hassan Yemer and Ahmed Minni of Ethiopian descent.

They were reported missing by their families on November after one left behind a farewell video showing scenes of war and casualties and saying Muslims must be defended.